Cairo: AfricUpdate – News Desk
Ambassador to Cairo and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, affirmed that Algeria is fully prepared to host the activities of the Fourth Intra-Africa Trade Forum (IATF 2025), scheduled to be held from September 4 to 10, 2025, under the theme “Gateway to New Opportunities.”
In press statements on the sidelines of an introductory meeting for the forum’s program, Barah explained that the event is being organized in partnership with Afreximbank, the African Union, and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, and is one of the largest economic events on the continent. He pointed out that this year’s forum is attracting more than 2,000 exhibitors from 75 countries, in addition to more than 35,000 participants from around the world, including heads of state and government, ministers, senior officials, and businessmen.
The Algerian ambassador explained that the forum aims to promote intra-African trade and activate the provisions of the Continental Free Trade Agreement by providing an integrated platform for exchanging trade and investment information, enabling companies to enter a unified African market comprising more than 1.4 billion people and a gross domestic product exceeding $3.5 trillion. The forum’s activities will cover strategic sectors including agriculture, industry, energy, finance, research and innovation, health, and transportation, in addition to supporting startups.
Barah noted that the forum’s program includes specialized exhibitions and training workshops, in addition to the Canex program dedicated to the worlds of fashion, music, film, and the arts, the African Car Show, and the “Diaspora Day” aimed at strengthening ties with African communities abroad.
The ambassador emphasized that Algeria has harnessed all its capabilities to ensure the success of the event, starting with the renovation and maintenance of the International Exhibition Center, facilitating visa procedures through its diplomatic missions, creating a digital platform for exhibitor registration, and providing more than 120 hotel establishments to host delegations and participants.
Barah added that the forum represents a strategic opportunity for Egypt to enhance its economic cooperation with African countries, particularly Algeria, which has seen a leap in trade with Egypt from $1.2 billion in 2023 to $2.2 billion in 2024, with significant opportunities for expansion in the fields of production, manufacturing, and services, leveraging the unified African market through the Algerian gateway.
